The Young G.O.D.z

The Young G.O.D.z

 Distinctive NC Trio Makes Music with a Purpose

By Mia Barnett

The Young G.O.D.Z is a phenomenal power group that grew up together in the same neighborhood in Charlotte, NC. They initially became a group for their annual high school talent show in 2001, in the 2002 talent show, Ya-Hine$$, Young Flamez, and Jon 'JB' Brown won the competition. Young G.O.D.Z consider themselves to be brothers as they have matriculated from high school to college together.

It was momentous for the group when they all finally arrived at North Carolina Central University. While students at NC Central SU, this group officially named themselves the Young G.O.D.Z, to represent their roots and who they are. G is the 7th letter of the alphabet, O represents the number 0 and D represents the 4th letter of alphabet, all of these numbers make up the area code 704 from where the Young G.O.D.Z were established. “The acronym is important because it keeps us grounded and embodies what we stand for ---the Young Gods of Rap & Hip Hop,” says Brown. The Young G.O.D.Z are not currently seeking to get rich or make money off of their music, their focus is to simply get their music heard, and their efforts have made them quite the popular group across the state of North Carolina.

Elvis "Blac Elvis" Williams

Elvis "Blac Elvis" Williams
Interview by Bella & Starr

 This humble hit maker keeps the radio rockin and the industry buzzin. Producer BlacElvis graciously let THE MUSICSHELF MAGAZINE into his Norcross, Georgia studio to preview some of his music and get to know the man behind the hits!


TMS: Where did you get the name BlacElvis?
Elvis: I got the name Elvis from my father, I always tell this story. My grandmother started naming her kids after famous people.

TMS: What are some of the names?
Elvis: I got an uncle named Milton after Louie Milton, an uncle named Charles after Ray Charles, an auntie named Marilyn after Marilyn Monroe, umm… and an auntie named Linda after Linda Carter whoever she was… But that‟s the gist of it and my dad just got caught with the name Elvis.

TMS: When we heard Elvis we wondered if you were from Memphis. Where are you from?
Elvis: I am from Memphis! That's another big question I get asked! I was originally born in Clarksdale Mississippi. It's like 30 minutes away from Memphis.

TMS: Alright! So we were on the right track! How long have you been producing?
Elvis: I‟ve been producing professionally now for eight years. I came to Atlanta in 2003 before I came to ATL I had small projects like Barricades, The Kay Project, Koopsta Knicca from Three 6 Mafia but nothing major. But when I came to ATL, that's when I started getting into it like really, really heavy.

Coley

Coley

(INTERVIEW BY: ANGELA STURRUP)

This eclectic young artist, only 24, pulls passion and emotion from each note he sings, moving audiences with his melodies and ballads. His age in years contradict with his music, romance and a girl being the center of his inspiration.   The powerfully smooth lyrics grab you from the beginning, combining romance and intrigue with his raspy eloquence. 

He pretty much keeps to himself. But give him a guitar and a microphone and an alternative rock/blues/love-song-singing wanderer is awakened. The young man, with his shoulder length blonde locks, rarely parts with his guitar, even at the grocery store, and can be found singing cover tunes five nights a week, at bars in and around Atlanta, Georgia. Clay Coley and the band, “Coley”, are right on point to finish his debut album, tentatively named “Come what May”, and his fans are anxious for the new release. 

In between gigs, the front man of the band, “Coley”, took time out and opened up to The MusicShelf Magazine about what inspires and motivates his music and upcoming album. 


MARC DeCOCA

MARC DeCOCA

MARC DeCOCA, an Atanta born hip- hop mogul as well as an aspiring icon in the making, has managed to achieve and do so many things in a minuet amount of time. His success is limitless. One of DeCOCA main goals in life is for music to be his legacy after life has passed him by. While he has surpassed his own intentions set for himself as an artist and a CEO of his own music label, Whitehorse; DeCOCA, has been working hard on planting and watering the seed of being a rapper while owning the label. Even though this young man has very much on his plate he still has a great since of humor shown through his lyrics and music videos. One of his mix tapes titled “Monkey Sh%t” apparently is an inside joke among Whitehorse members meaning ‘ghetto’. This is a prime example of the playful banter DeCOCA tends to have when he is in positive mood. There are darker sides that tend to hit him as well. For example, Trigga would probably be a song yielded more towards the males. He sees himself as having many different dimensions. His art imitates life and depending on what he feels day to day to will affect what goes from pen to paper.

Airplay

AIRPLAY

By Miss Lanaire
What happens when you combine Wyclef Jean’s 23-year-old cousin Lil Wonda, with a 21-year-old sports jock Robbie Max, and a 23-year-old theatre student named B Madison? You get the music group Airplay. The Music Shelf sat down with the trio to talk about their process, their style and their future in music.
Airplay prides themselves in writing all their music, which in the game today is becoming a scarcity. In the studio Lil Wonda described their connection as “divine intervention every time”. Though the three have only been a group for less than a year, their chemistry in the studio is unparalleled.


A family-like bond has allowed them to be each other’s inspiration in the studio, in what they call displaying “passion at its best”. Lil Wonda is known for simply freestlying in the booth, which translates to he usually never remembers his lyrics. Robbie Max, though the newest to music, is the most organized as he carries around a corridor Jansport bag wherever he goes with all the lyrics he has ever written. B. Madison brings her own additions to the group but the guys are sure to keep her far away from the engineering board, because she has a history of erasing hot tracks. Though they all love kicking it together and are very unpredictable, one thing never changes. “We pray before everything,” passionately explained Lil Wonda.

Chasity "Miss Chas" Nwagbara

Chasity “Miss Chas” Nwagbara
Story by Lanedra Carrol
Chasity Nwagbara, who is only 22 years old, is already creating a buzz about her songwriting ability as she makes her mark in the music industry.

“Miss Chas,” as some call her, has worked on a Grammy nominated album (Karina Pisan, contemporary album, 2008); she also composed another song, “Mile in These Shoes,” that was featured in a “Desperate Housewives” promotional commercial for Season Three.

Nwagbara began as a singer, whose vocals flowed from other songwriters’ words. When the writers became too busy, what was a problem for Nwagbara presented her with an unopened gift; she was forced to write her own music.

It was the beginning of a successful songwriting career that has allowed her to work with some of the best: Brandy, Mario, Jesse McCartney, and Jennifer Lopez are only a few of the musicians who breathe musical life into her lyrics.

"Brandy was a huge inspiration,” Nwagbara said, “and when I finally got to work with her, it was a little dream come true." Nwagbara’s dreams don’t stop there. Even though she has already collaborated with other well-known artists, she would also like to work with some of the greatest artists of all time like Prince and Whitney Houston. No doubt, she said, Michael Jackson was on her wish list. When asked what turns her creative juices on, she said: "I think of a lot of concepts on my own through my experiences and other people's experiences."

Damien

DAMIEN

By Shayla Kristen

To describe yourself as a creative, humble, different, electric and passionate artist may seem like a high standard to set yourself into, but seventeen year old singer/songwriter, Damien, feels that these are the qualities that best define him. Always willing to put forth the effort, Damien generates these qualities, making sure that his music and his fans see that he is a quality artist.
As a quality artist, Damien wants to give hope to his fans, and for them to see him as a humble and real person who is hungry to be successful. His message of hope and humility is that despite his struggles with his family he does not blame anyone. Delivering his message of hope after being homeless illustrates his humility and his belief that “as long as we are breathing we will be able to do something positive with our lives and make our dreams come true.

Damien’s advice on making your dreams come true is to stay focused on what you want to achieve, practice persistence and study your craft.







Even though Damien’s dad helped him to overcome shyness by taking Damien to barbershops to perform, he had issues with his father growing up. In the course of this the barbershop performances, Damien gained the techniques of performing and became a better performer.  


O.R.D.A.

O.R.D.A.
By Mia Barnett

O.R.D.A., born Kenny Jones, is a versatile hip hop artist exercising his talent in a big way. He hails from Baltimore, Maryland by way of ATL. He began his musical brilliance at the age of 9, mimicking such artist as LL Cool J, Rakim and Outkast. His no doubt love for hip hop has evolved into a rare intuition and mad skills as a writer, producer and entrepreneur.
 
O.R.D.A. first made footprints in the music industry as “Da-Man”. He experienced as a new artist the disappointment of being dropped from a promising new record deal and from this experience he learned the lesson that “friends” were friends as long as he was successful. Nevertheless, this tragic turn of events contributed to O.R.D.A.’s motivation to own his own business, pave his own path into the industry again and met new people.

Stone Street

Stone Street
By Mia Barnett

"Stone Street Makes their Mark with a Distinctive Sound"

As it comes to making a mark in the music industry, the inimitable Stone Street of Tallahassee, FL has quite a bit to offer; defining themselves with an easy groove of funky reggae-rock.  Unafraid to take risk, Stone Street has the potential to reach out to a broad fan base. “…we do not want to get pigeon holed into one set of ideas,” says the bass player, Jake. Stone Street acknowledges their drummer, Dillon, to be big part of their distinctive sound.  Jake, Neal and Dillon look forward to sharing with the world their unique sound as they stay steadfast to their craft; practicing as a band at least twice a week despite their individual commitments. Outside of school and work, music  is a top priority to Stone Street. Neal, the guitar player, also plays for another local band that is fairly successful at booking shows as well.

Joey Single

Joey Single

By Mia Barnett

Hip-Hop of the New Millennium is educated and realistic. With this in mind it is safe to say that Joey Single is Hip-Hop at its best. Joey Single is a 20-year-old Biology major who is in love with Hip-Hop.

Before pursuing his journey as a rap artist, Single expressed his love for Hip-Hop through dance, as the Captain of the House Arrest 2 dance team during his freshman year of college.

 A career in Dentistry is Single’s safety-net to his music career, as his mother always taught him to, “invest in what is for sure.” With little time or money for partying, Single saves his money for recording and spends most of his time critiquing his work before laying down tracks in the studio. “I practice my music to perfection before going into the studio, Single says, “so that I do not waste time.”
During Joey Single’s high school years is when he took notice to his talent in word-play; he would freestyle with friends and received positive feedback from them. Although, Single’s primary source of motivation to further pursue music comes from his belated cousin who was murdered during a rap battle. He learned from his cousin to always be skeptical as it came to business matters in the music industry.